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“She Kills Monsters” Cos-Play Night!

Van Duzer Theater

Dress up as your favorite D&D character or monster for the “She Kills Monsters” cos-play night. Attendees in costume can enter a drawing to win a door prize that includes a $25 gift certificate to Dandar’s Board Games and Books.”

The Department of Dance, Music, and Theatre at Cal Poly Humboldt and the Associated Students presents “She Kills Monsters” written by Qui Nguyen and directed by Sarah Peters Gonzales. Tickets are $10 General, $8 Senior/Child/Student, and FREE for Cal Poly Humboldt students with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance at centerarts.humboldt.edu

From the “All Events” drop down menu select “School of Dance, Music, and Theatre” and select your event. Proof of COVID vaccination and booster is still required for all guests on campus. At press time, the wearing of facemasks is not mandatory, but it is strongly encouraged.

She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans (played by Miah Carter), an average woman who loses her parents and little sister Tilly (Geneva Bell) in a car accident. Having been very distant from her sister while she was alive, Agnes embarks on an adventure to get to know her sister better by playing a Dungeons & Dragons module that Tilly had written, and discovers things she’d never imagined.

“The story is about trying to understand someone who died too soon,” says director Sarah Peters Gonzales. “This theme especially feels appropriate after getting through the years of being apart, afraid to come together in person, with unexpected losses of loved ones. In a different show, this might feel really heavy, but this show effectively lets you think about those sad feelings with tons of laughs and stage combat.”

The play is indeed full of laughs, stage combat—and monsters! The game Dungeons and Dragons is the central story-telling device of the play. The party members characters—and the monsters, fairies, and various big bad bosses they battle—are brought to life by actors in costume and make-up, but also using puppets, lighting, and even film techniques. “As a person who has played D&D for years with my family, it feels great to see a show that successfully incorporates the elements that make the game such a fun, imaginative part of our life. The D&D world is the perfect landscape to tell this meaningful story.” Says Peters Gonzales.

While many of the show’s jokes are rooted in the gameplay of D&D the show is also full of 90’s references “…the show does a great job of bridging different generations. It’s set in the 1990s. The cast members and designers, whether they lived during the 90s or not, are having a great time with the cultural references which are influencing everything in the show from the lights to the costumes to the music,” Peter Gonzales says of the shows design and aesthetic.

Head stage manager Erika McCall is helming the backstage of She Kills Monsters. “This is my second time stage managing a production of She Kills Monsters!” McCall Exclaims. They previously Stage Managed the zoom production She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms. When asked why people should come see the show, McCall quipped “Besides dragons, D&D, and fun loveable characters?” They continued, “If they’re not familiar with the show, I think they’ll be surprised about how the story ends. It’s not your typical “they lived happily ever after”. It’s more bittersweet.” Actor Geneva Bell, who plays the role of Tilly responded, “Fight scenes!” also, “It’s queer and funny, what more do you need?” Director Peters Gonzales adds, “It has all the feels. People should come see She Kills Monsters because it will be a good night out.”

Adult Language. All humans, elves, orcs, demons, and other mythical beings 15+ welcome.

DATES/TIMES

WHERE

• Van Duzer Theater

PRICE

• $10
• $8 Seniors/Students
• Free Cal Poly Students with ID